Greenville Lions were an American
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team that played in the
United Soccer Leagues
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(USL)
D3 Pro League (later known as the ''USL Second Division'') and operated an amateur team, Greenville Lions Premier, in the
Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...
(PDL), the third and fourth tiers of the
American soccer pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of prom ...
at the time. The team was founded in 2001 and operated until 2003.
The Lions played their home games at
Sirrine Stadium
Sirrine Stadium is a stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. It was used by Furman University's American football team from 1936 to 1980. The stadium opened on October 31, 1936 with a Furman victory over Davidson. It has a seating ...
on the grounds of
Greenville High School in the city of
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...
.
History
The Greenville Lions were founded as a professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team in 2001 based out of
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...
to play in the third tier of the
American soccer pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of prom ...
at the time, the
USL D3 Pro League
The USL Second Division (commonly referred to as USL-2) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was at the third tier of soccer in the United States, behind Major League Soccer ...
. The team was owned by
Miguel Banda and
Scott Halkett served as Club President. Following a successful first season, losing the championship game 0–1 to the
Utah Blitzz
Utah Blitzz was an American professional soccer team in based in Salt Lake City, Utah that played in the USL Pro Select League (later known as the USL Second Division). The club was founded in 2000 but folded following the 2004 season to make way ...
, the club would launch and operate amateur teams in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
(PDL) and the
Super Y-League
Year-by-year
Competition history
Coaches
*
Garth Pollonais
Garth Pollonais is a retired Trinidad and Tobago football (soccer) forward who played professionally in both Trinidad and the United States.
Early career
Pollonais grew up in Trinidad. He attended St. Augustine Senior Secondary High School whe ...
2002–03
Stadia
*
Sirrine Stadium
Sirrine Stadium is a stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. It was used by Furman University's American football team from 1936 to 1980. The stadium opened on October 31, 1936 with a Furman victory over Davidson. It has a seating ...
,
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...
2003
References
{{USSoccer
Soccer clubs in South Carolina
USL Second Division teams
Defunct Premier Development League teams
2001 establishments in North Carolina
2003 disestablishments in North Carolina